Apparatus for drying fabrics



7 Sheec's-Sheet l INVENTOR WILLIAM 'MURPHEY A'I'TGJRNEY W. MURPHEY APPARATUS FOR DRYING FABRICS Dec. 7, 1954 Filed April :5. 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 3, 1951 INVENTOR WILLIAM MURPHEY ATTORNEY 1386- 1954 w. MURPHEY APPARATUS FOR DRYING FABRICS 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 3, 1951 IZ\\"ENTOR WILLIAM MURPHEY BY MM rm I I ATTORNEY Filed April 3, 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR WILLIAM MURPHEIY BY 4144M, 4 M

ATTORNEY Dec. 7, 1954 w, MURPHEY 2,696,055

APPARATUS FOR DRYING FABRICS Filed April 3, 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 v INVENTOR WILLIAM MURPHEY BY M 10% ATTORNEY Dec. 7, 1954 w. MURPHEY APPARATUS FOR DRYING FABRICS 7 Sheets-$heet 7 Filed April 3, 1951 N h nml WILUAM MURPHEY BY flu? Y f ATTORNEY United States Patent APPARATUS FOR DRYING FABRICS William Murphey, Chattanooga, Tenn.

Application April 3, 1951, Serial No. 219,077

1 Claim. (Cl. 34-157) This invention relates to an improved machine for drying fabrics, notably knit goods including knit tubing. The invention is also useful for the drying of towel cloth and finds an important application in small tailoring establishments, as well as in large clothing factories, where it is frequently necessary to sponge or wet and then dry the bolts of cloth before-cutting the same up for sewinginto clothing.

The primary object of the invention is to dry the fabric while it is in a relaxed condition, i. e., draped in the form of short loops about 18" high, whereby it may shrink to its normal width and length as the dampness is removed. In practical operation, the bottom of each loop rests on a wire conveyor belt which relieves the loop of excessive weight and resultant stretching such as would be caused by water contained in the fabric. The cloth resting on the conveyorbelt gradually shrinks in total length with closing of the stitch construction of the fabric as it moves through the dryer in a relaxed position, i. e., as the water is taken out with dry air, and by the time the cloth has passed about two-thirds through the drying apparatus, the shrinkage has been sufficient to shorten the length of each loop until it barely touches the conveyor belt. This shrinkage in the fabric as it is being driedprevious to being cut and sewn into garments minimizes shrinkage in the finished garments when they are laundered after wear. As a practicalresult, in the drying of 50% wool-50% cotton underwear fabric for the United States Army by this invention, laboratory tests have shown that the fabric has from 50 to 75% less wash shrinkage than is required in the Army specifications. Moreover, it is observed that by drying the fabric in accordance with the present invention, an even width of the cloth is maintained throughout the drying without distorting the fabric construction and in addition a practical gain in width of one or more inches is obtained as-compared withother drying processes.

Another object of the invention is to accomplish the drying and the shrinking as a continuous relatively high speed operation. In the operation of the present invention, fabric, for instance medium weight'cotton goods, can be dried at a rate of about fifty yards a minute or in about one-fifth of 'the normal time employed with conventional dryers. Only a single operator is required, as compared with three to six men now required with most conventional machines. As a matter of fact, most present machines process the cloth from forty to sixty minutes which tends to cook the cloth, making it hard and thereafter requiring an additional step to soften the cloth by chemicals. The present invention processes the cloth in from five to eleven minutes and his discharged from the machine dried and shrunk without undesirable baking or scorching and-free of the harsh feel heretofore encountered with present dryers.

A further object of the invention is to provide for the maintenance of eflicient conditions throughout the drying operation. For instance, in accordance with the present invention, during the initial drying stages clean dry air is constantly presented to the fabric and moisture laden air is continuously removed from the drying chamber It has been found advantageous to take the saturated airout of the machine from the entrance end and initial drying stages so-as to remove this dampness as. quickly .as possible, thereby to avoid the drier cloth picking up the dampness as it progress'es toward theffinishing end. As the drying continues, clean dry "ice air is recirculated during the final stages of drying. By recirculating the hot air during the final stages of drying and at the exit end, has been found most etficient since the hot air at these points does not contain any appreciable dampness. Not only does this procedure improve the speed of drying with resultant avoidance of cooking or scorching of the fabric, but considerable economy is obtained in the use of the heating means for heating the air.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus wherein the fabric in looped or relaxed condition is continuously subjected to circulating clean dry heated air as it travels through the drying chamber. The circulation is so conducted that the air contacts both the upper surface and the under surface of the looped orrelaxed fabric to assure uniform and rapid drying at all times. Suitable automatic temperature control means may be readily employed, so that high temperatures such as would discolor or scorch the fabric being dried are avoided.

Referring to the drawings:

Figures 1 and 1a are side elevational views of the entire machine showing the drying chamber or tunnel and generally indicating the initial and final drying stages.

Figures 2 and 2a are top plan views of the machine shown in Figures 1 and 1a.

Figure 3 is a transverse detail sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2a illustrating the air circulating means for delivering dry clean heated air to the drying chamber and circulating the same over and under and between the fabric forming the loops.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 44 ofFigure 3.

Figure 5 is a transversedetail sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 2 and illustrating the means for removing the moistureladen air at the entrance end and initial drying. stages.

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 6,6 of Figure 2a and illustrating the air intake and filtering means whereby air is taken from the atmosphere, filtered, heated and delivered to the circulating means shown in Figures 3 and 4, and

Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view for the most part diagrammatically showing the means for introducing and drying a continuous web of cloth and conveying and removing the same, the cloth being maintained in relaxed or looped condition through its travel through the drying tunnel.

Referring to Figures 1 and 1a, and toFigure 7, the cloth to be dried and shrunk is fed into an elongated clos'ed drying chamber or tunnel A on the conveyor 10 from any suitable source such as a roll. The cloth, which is indicated at 11 in Figure 7, for example, is knit cotton tubing which has been spread to the desired width and either put up in rolls or flat folded before being fed to the conveyor 10. As shown in Figures 3 and 6, two webs of fabric are fed andprocessed simultaneously by way of illustration, but a single web of any desired width or thickness or more than two webs may be dried, as desired.

Referring to Figure 7, the cloth is fed from the conveyor 10 and drops downwardly, as shown, to be received and carried by a conveyor 12 throughout the tunnel A. The feed-in conveyor 10 moves sufiiciently faster than the conveyor 12 to assure that the cloth received by the conveyor 12 will be continuously looped so as to be carried by the conveyor 12 in a relaxed condition.

This conveyor 12 is in theform of an endless perforate belt of wire cloth 13 as shown in Figure 6 and has connected to its side edges spaced laterally extending metal members or lugs 14 to which are bolted standards or uprights 15. These standards extend upwardly to support horizontal bars 16, over which the cloth is carried in relaxed or festooned position while travelling through the drying tunnel A. The horizontal bars 16 are connected to the standards as by bolts or in any other suitable manner. While in Figure 6, the standards are shown as extending upwardly at an acute angle, they may extend vertically (at a angle) with respect to the conveyor belt 13, as shown at 17 in Figure 3. A preferable construction is to have alternate bars 16 supported by angularly extending struts or standards 15 and standards 17 extending at a 90 angle respectively. The lugs 14 at their outer ends are connected to sprocket chains 18, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, which chains travel over suitable sprockets 19 and are supported in their movement by angle iron guides or tracks 28 mounted on the interior opposite walls of the tunnel A. The sprockets 19 are rotated from any suitable power source in order to operate the conveyor and carry the standards supporting the cloth carrying bars 16 through the tunnel A. While I have illustrated a single conveyor 12, the tunnel A may be suitably enlarged to carry two conveyors arranged side by side or superposed, as desired.

The conveyor 12 moves in the direction of the arrow as shown in Figure 7 and as the cloth 11 drops downwardly, it is deposited as a loop 21 as shown in Figure 7 and, then, as the conveyor 12 moves in the direction of the arrow, the cloth and the adjacent bar 16 are engaged by a roller 22 which may be in the form of a single roll or a plurality of transversely arranged rolls, each slidably mounted in a slot 23 on a supporting bracket 24. As shown, the roller 22 extends below the plane of the bar 16 and when the bar and the cloth contact the roller 22, it is caused to rise in the slot 23 and the pressure of the roller will serve to wrap the fabric over the bar 16, as shown at 25, as the roller rides over the bar and the cloth thereon and then drops downwardly again between adjacent bars. This construction provides a very efficient, automatic and continuous means for assuring that the cloth will be continuously draped or festooned into loops 21 while supported upon the bars 16, so that it is carried through the drying tunnel in a relaxed condition. The operation of the roller 22 or rollers 22, as the case may be, is continuous throughout the feeding of the cloth from the conveyor to the conveyor 12.

As the conveyor moves to the right, in Figures 1 and In, as indicated by the arrow, with the cloth 11 in draped or relaxed condition, the lower ends of the wet fabric loops are initially supported upon the screen 13 of the conveyor as shown in Figure 7. The cloth, of course, becomes progressively drier and shrinks during passage through the tunnel A. As the cloth enters the final stages of the drying tunnel, as shown in Figure 7, the bottoms of the loops will barely rest upon the screen 13 of the conveyor. or fabric in a relaxed condition through the drying tunnel has been found most effective, not only to secure rapid drying of the cloth, but to preserve its construction by avoiding stretching or distortion of the cloth during the drying and shrinking.

At the opposite end or outlet of the drying chamber A, as shown in Figures 1 and 1a, and referring particularly to Figure 7, the dry, preshrunk cloth is removed over suitable dancer and idler rollers 26anddeposited upon a conveyor 27 which carries the cloth-to a. suitable instrumentality for further treating operations. The conveyor 27 moves atabout the same speed as the feeding conveyor 10 and within a closed chamber 23mounted on top of the drying chamber A, as shown in Figures 3 and 7. This chamber 28 extends substantially. the length of the drying tunnel A, as shown in Figures 1 and la, and since the cloth is warm or heated,.the chamber 23 also becomes heated to further dry and condition the cloth and conserves the heat withinthe tunnel A.

Referring to Figures 1 and 1a and 2 and 2a, the drying apparatus as described. above comprises the closed elongated drying chamber or tunnel A, and intermediate the length thereof and referring to Figure 6, there are positioned a plurality of spaced fresh air supply means 30 for drawing air from the atmosphere, cleaning the same, heating the air and introducing it to a duct communicating with the interior of tunnel A.. The. air inlet means 3t) includes angularly disposed filters 31. of any suitable air filtering material so as toclean and purify the air, which. is thereafter heated by passing through a heating coil 32 and passed to a duct 33 for distribution into the drying tunnel A, Referring to Figures 2 and 2a and Figures 3 and,6, this duct 33 extends at one side of the drying tunnel A substantially throughout the length thereof and one adjacent side wall of the tunnel A forms a side wall of the'duct as showninFigures 3 and6.

Communicating with the duct 33 at spaced points are a plurality of hot air supply means34' for introducing dry, purified, heated air into the drying chamber A, as

This method of carrying the cloth I of drying.

best shown in detail in Figure 3. The Warm, purified air from the duct 33 is drawn through the heating coil 35 by the fan or blower 36'and discharged through pipe 37 into the heating chamber A at the top, as shown in Figure 3. The blowers 36 act to draw the fresh air through the supply means 30, shown in Figure 6, into the duct 33 and as just described deliver the warm purified air from this duct 33 into the tunnel A at one side adjacent the top thereof.

It is an important feature of the invention that the dry, heated, purified air introduced to the tunnel A through the pipe 37 is thoroughly circulated upon the upper and underside of the fabric being carried through the tunnel A and particularly within the loops as shown in Figures 3 and 4. In order that this circulation may be assured, and referring to Figures 3 and 4, the pipe 37 delivers the heated, dry, purified air to a plurality of ducts indicated at 38, 33 and 46. The air introduced through the duct 38 is discharged downwardly adjacent one side wall of the tunnel, as shown at 41 in Figure 3, while the air introduced through the duct 46) is discharged downwardly adjacent the opposite Wall, as shown at 42. The air which passes through the ducts 3E and 4t) and along the opposite sides of the tunnel circulates as shown in Figures 3- and 4 through the screen and up inside and between the undersurfaces of the loops. Referring to Figure 4, the air introduced through the duct 39 circulates downwardly through the opening 43 and strikes the bafile 44, whereby it is directed longitudinally of the tunnel, as well as on the upper side of the loops and between the same. In this way, a constant supply of fresh, dry, heated, clean air is constantly circulated over all portions of the fabric. By having the cloth in a relaxed condition and circulating the drying air on both surfaces simultaneously of the loops and within and without the same, the drying is facilitated and the completeness and uniformity of the drying is assured. The duct structure 383940 is provided with each of the supply means 34 and extendslongitudinally of the tunnel as shown by the dotted lines in Figures 2 and 2a at 45.

Initially the cloth being wet, the air adjacent the entrant portion of the drying chamber A and in the extent of the same represented by. the length of the drying chamber shown in Figure 2, is heavily moisture laden. Referring to Figures 2 and 5, means generally indicated at 46 are provided for withdrawing this moist air from the drying chamber, so as to maintain optimum drying conditions in the initial drying stages. That is the moist air is removed from that extent of the drying chamber represented by Figure 2 and discharged to atmosphere. Referring to Figure 5, the means 46 includes an exhaust duct 47 which extends along the bottom of one side of the tunnel A opposite the duct 33. A plurality of spaced openings 48 extend through the wall of the chamber into communication with the duct 47, as shown in Figure2. A suitable pipe 49 communicates with the duct 47 and with a blower 50 which draws the moisture laden air from the bottom of the tunnel A during the 1n 1t1al stages of drying, as represented by Figure 2, and discharges this moist laden air through the pipe 51 to atmosphere, as shown in Figure 5.

The openings 48', as shown in Figure 5, are provided with louvres which swing in one direction and when it is not necessary to operate the blower 50, communica tion between the chamber A and the duct 47is cut off.

Referring to Figures 3 and 6, it will be noted that the duct 33 at the freshair supply means 30 and at the heated, purified air supply means 34 is provided with openings 52 which communicate the lower end of the duct with the lower end of the tunnel, respectively. These openings may be suitably closed or controlled by adjustable slide valves indicated at 53, These valves in the initial stages of drying, represented by. the chamber shown in.Figure 2, willusually be closed, but in the later stages of drying represented by the.extent of the drying chamber shown in Figure 2a, these valves are opened partially or completely, whereby dry air may be re-circulated from the chamber A back into the duct 33 and reused. This is made possible by. reason of the withdrawal of the moist air during initial stages of drying through the openings 48 and the duct 47 to atmosphere through the pipe 51' whereby moisture laden air is substantially completely removed in the early stages As a result, the drying operation isv made more rapidon the one hand, and heat is conserved to a substantial extent, on the other. In this connection, and referring to Figure 7, a baffle 54 is provided which extends horizontally of the conveyor 12, as shown, and serves to deflect air circulating in the chamber A away from the roller 22 and adjacent cross bar 16, so that there is no interference with the formation of the loops.

While I have illustrated two fresh air supply means 30, one in the initial stages of drying represented by Figure 2, and another in the later stages of drying represented by Figure 2a, it is to be understood that as many of such devices may be utilized as desired. Likewise, although I have shown two heated, purified air supply means 34 in connection with each of the drying stages,

' represented by Figues 2 and 2a, it is to be understood that any suitable number may be employed. In this connection, various types of thermostatic control means are available for association with the operating means for the heated, purified air supply means 34 to control the temperature within the drying tunnel A and these will be employed in the usual manner.

Referring to Figure 4, the cloth carrying bars 16 are preferably provided with a metal covering or casing indicated at 55 and the ends of the bars 16 are provided with suitable guides 56, as shown in Figure 7, to retain the fabric against lateral movement.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that I have provided a drying apparatus and method, wherein fabric may be continuously dried at a high rate of speed while the fabric is maintained in a relaxed or looped condition and at all times subjected to the drying effect of purified, heated air which circulates on both surfaces of the fabric and within and without the loops thereof. At all times, the fabric is maintained against stretching, is withdrawn from the machine in a uniformly dry condition with its structure undistorted and preshrunk to substantially final dimensions.

I claim:

An apparatus of the class described comprising a drying chamber, a conveyor in said chamber, means associated with said conveyor for forming a fabric fed thereto into loops and carrying the same in looped condition through the drying chamber, means for introducing heated, purified air to said drying chamber, and means for circulating the air on both surfaces of the fabric and within and without the loops, said circulating means including a plurality of ducts, certain of said ducts directing the air downwardly along opposite walls of the chamber and another of said ducts having a horizontally disposed bafiie adjacent an opening therein extending longitudinally of the chamber directing the air downwardly intermediate the walls of said chamber and longitudinally with respect to the chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,037,254 Hopkins Sept. 3, 1912- 1,211,325 Lilly Jan. 2, 1917 1,562,762 Harris Nov. 24, 1925 1,900,846 Russell et al Mar. 7, 1933 1,978,341 Coleman Oct. 23, 1934 2,076,415 Partsch Apr. 6, 1937 2,213,502 Parkes et a1. Sept. 3, 1940 2,270,125 Hurxthal Jan. 13, 1942 2,385,962 Barnett Oct. 2, 1945 2,597,490 Hurxthal May 20, 1952 2,597,999 Knopp May 27, 1952 

